Marketing consultant at work — providing strategy, clarity, and direction for businesses in New Zealand and beyond.
North Star Marketing circular badge logo with starburst.
North Star Marketing founder Joanna Campbell — strategic marketing consultant in Whanganui, New Zealand, providing marketing services across NZ and beyond.

About North Star Marketing founder Joanna Campbell.

Who’s behind North Star Marketing?

I’m Jo Campbell — a strategic, hands-on marketing partner with 20+ years’ experience leading brand, digital, and go-to-market strategy across telco, tech, media, and more.

Formally trained and certified in

What I Bring to the Table

With 20+ years in marketing and strategy, I bring a mix of big-picture thinking and hands-on execution. I know how to find the signal in the noise, spot the gaps, and shape marketing that actually works.

• Depth of experience — Two decades leading brand, digital, and go-to-market strategy across corporate, tech, media, and more.

• Sharp strategy — I cut through trends and tactics to get to what will really move your business forward.

• Operational follow-through — Plans don’t sit in a drawer; I help make them happen, measure results, and adapt as we go.

• Creative problem-solving — From reframing a message to untangling a messy funnel, I find better ways to reach your goals.


North Star Marketing brand icon — circular starburst symbol representing clarity, direction, and strategic marketing guidance from Whanganui, New Zealand and beyond.

Why I Started North Star

After two decades in corporate marketing, I’d seen the best and worst of how businesses treat their marketing — and the people behind it.

I wanted to create a space where marketing means something: where it’s purposeful, strategic, and set up to work. Where it’s not about chasing the shiny thing or ticking boxes, but about doing the right thing for the long-term health of the business.

North Star Marketing is built on a few simple principles:

• Strategy before activity

• Clarity before complexity

• Marketing that’s measured, not just imagined


North Star Marketing brand icon — circular starburst symbol representing clarity, direction, and strategic marketing guidance from Whanganui, New Zealand and beyond.

Where I worked before starting
North Star Marketing

View my portfolio
View my LinkedIn profile

North Star Marketing brand icon — circular starburst symbol representing clarity, direction, and strategic marketing guidance from Whanganui, New Zealand and beyond.

My approach in five words

Approachable
I keep things friendly, clear, and free of ego. Clients feel comfortable asking questions, giving feedback, and being real with me.

Confident
I bring 20+ years of experience to the table. I know what works, and I’m not afraid to challenge vague trends or empty tactics.

Strategic
I always connect marketing to business goals. Every idea has a purpose, and every action builds momentum.

Grounded
I’m calm, clear-headed, and practical. I won’t oversell, overpromise, or overcomplicate.

Empathetic
I read the room, I listen, and I care. I work best with clients who want a thoughtful partner, not just a task-ticker.

  • Whether you need a one-off reset, a strategic plan, or steady support month to month — I bring experience that helps you move from uncertainty to action, without adding noise or surface-level tactics.

  • I think deeply, work independently, and focus on what matters most. You won’t get play-by-play updates, but you’ll feel the progress — because I’m making it happen behind the scenes.

  • I bring creativity to the structure, not just the surface.

    It shows up in how we frame a message, design a journey, or unlock an insight that shifts performance.

    It’s creative strategy — grounded in human behaviour, business goals, and what actually makes people take action.

    I’m not here to art-direct your brand — though if you need someone to facilitate that, I can absolutely help make that happen.

  • I’m practical, collaborative, and low-drama. I listen first, help you untangle what’s really going on, and shape a clear path forward — then stay involved to help make it real.

    • A clear marketing game plan 

    • Campaigns with purpose 

    • Visibility into what’s working 

    • The right channel mix 

    • Content that gets found 

    • More effective ads  

    • Reliable measurement  

  • You can start with a single session or go deeper with ongoing support. Everything is shaped around clarity, structure, and steady momentum — so you can make real marketing progress, without inflated fees or marketing theatre.

What to expect.

What I stand for

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What I stand for *

I’m not here to fill a chair or nod politely. I’m here to make sure your marketing works — for your customers, and for your business.

That means I’ll ask questions, challenge assumptions, and sometimes recommend things that feel uncomfortable. I care more about long-term impact than short-term popularity. If something needs to change to get better results, I’ll say so — respectfully, clearly, and with your goals in mind.

I do my best work with people who are ready to take marketing seriously — even if they’re not sure where to start. You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to be open, curious, and ready to back yourself (and me).

I’m calm, strategic, and no-BS — but I’m also kind. I’m not into ego, panic, or perfectionism. I’m here to partner with you, make a plan, and get things moving.

  • I’ll always give you my honest take — even if it’s not what you expected. I care more about what’s right for your business than being “right.”

  • I cut through noise, indecision, and confusion. I help clients focus on what actually matters and move forward with confidence.

  • We don’t wait for the perfect plan. We move forward with clarity, learn as we go, and adjust with intention.

  • Marketing works best when we do it together. I’ll lead the way, but you’ll always be in the loop and in control. I don’t show up with a magic wand. I collaborate with you to shape strategy you believe in — and can actually implement.

  • I treat marketing as behavioural strategy, not decoration. I focus on what drives action — because it’s not just about looking good, it’s about making sense and making impact. Nice design matters, but it’s not enough. I focus on the “why” and “what’s working” before we polish the surface.

  • You won’t get BS or buzzwords here — just smart, grounded support that makes sense.

  • “I’d like to wholeheartedly recommend Jo. Having worked closely with her, I can confidently say she is one of the most result-driven and smart professionals I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with. Her extensive years of experience shine through in everything she does, and she approaches challenges with exceptional insight and determination. On a personal note, Jo has been an incredible mentor to me. She’s always willing to share her knowledge and provide guidance whenever needed. I have no doubt that Jo would bring immense value to any team or project she’s a part of.”

    - S. Hamal

  • “I have worked with Joanna in various capacities and within different business units of Vodafone NZ, during this time have enjoyed collaboration on many digital projects for Consumer group and more recently within Vodafone Business. Joanna's calm and embracing attitude has always been received from all and sundry, her exceptional knowledge of Digital marketing and principles have proved beneficial in delivering digital projects within scope and on target. A valued member of Vodafone overall and extensive background of policies, workflows and digital marketing - a genuine asset to the company who is always a pleasure to work with.”

      - A. Ward

  • “Joanna demonstrates exceptional cross channel marketing experience that delivers robust marketing campaigns. What makes Jo stand out amongst her peers, is her ability to identify areas of improvement within the marketing program and embrace the challenge of developing a solution. Her ability to engage all areas of the organisation and develop ‘test and learn’ strategies, through to implementation and post campaign analysis makes her an outstanding marketer and a much respected member of the marketing team.”

    - B. Johnston

  • “Jo was a fantastic colleague, I could absolutely trust that campaigns would be executed in an ordered and timely fashion, Jo was brilliant at picking up on details in data, segmentation and copy writing that contributed significantly to the responsiveness and effectiveness of a campaign, whilst delicately balancing stakeholder needs. She also has a great attitude, aptitude and was well liked and respected by her team and peers.”

     - R. Forbes

  • “Working with Jo was a pleasure - her experience, commitment and expert knowledge was central to the transformation of TalkTalk's Direct Marketing. Jo provides valuable input and direction across the marketing process, from strategy defining analytics through to execution, bringing a highly organised and delivery-focused approach to everything she works on.”

     - M. Jeffries

  • “Joanna is an excellent direct marketing professional, with experience in both acquisition and retention marketing. Joanna has experience across a number of direct channels and is exceedingly commercial. Her work ethic and self motivation also made it a pleasure to manage her.”

     - M. Lockwood

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